Almost three years ago when a spate of suicides linked to the multi-crore Saradha scam rocked West Bengal, a Congress leader from the State’s Hooghly district announced his decision to approach the Supreme Court seeking a probe by the Central Bureay
Nearly three years ago, when West Bengal witnessed a spate of suicides over the multi crore Saradha scam, a Congress leader from State’s Hooghly district announced his decision to approach Supreme Court seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into one of biggest financial swindle in the State.
In his late fifties, Abdul Mannan, who was not a member of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly then, showed a commitment to ensure justice to those duped in the scam.
Mr Mannan along with leader of Communist Party of India (Marxist) and also a prominent lawyer Bikash Bhattacharya got a Supreme Court order in May 2014 directing for a probe by the Central agency in the scam.
While Congress party was struggling to put its flock together, with over a dozen of its legislators switching sides and joining Trinamool Congress Mr Mannan was rallying the Opposition forces against the ruling Trinamool Congress.
He became one of prominent leaders of the Chit Fund Sufferers Unity Forum, that emerged as platform organising protests against higher ups in the ruling party alleged in the scam.
Towards the end of first term of the TMC government Mr Mannan was also instrumental in setting up Save Democracy Forum, which brought together the likes of Justice ( retd) Asok Kumar Ganguly on the issue of human rights violation in the State by the ruling TMc government.
A retired schoolteacher, Mr Mannan (now 61) had represented Champdani Assembly segment in State’s Hooghly district for three terms from 1991 to 2001. This was the height of Left Front regime and despite attempts by party leaders to upseat him Mr Mannan stood his ground.
Being elected as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party ( CLP) decks are cleared for him for as Leader of Opposition post. The Left Front, spearheaded by the CPI (M) , got only 32 seats while Congress contesting on far less seats got 44 in the recently concluded polls.
Congress is having the Leader of Opposition post in the State Assembly after 20 years. The previous occasion when the Congress was the principle Opposition party was in 1996 and Mr Mannan had then served as the chief whip of the Congress legislature party.
One aspect that is clear with Mr Mannan elevation is that the Left Font Congress bonhomie which he had forged on specific issues will continue in future.
“The reason we fought together, it is still there. We wanted to free Bengal from misrule. But that has not happened. So our fight is on. We will fight unitedly in the House and outside,” he said, when asked whether the alliance will continue.
EOM (casiv)
